Card-catalogue for libraries



(No Mdl) E. R. SOMES. Y

GARD CATALOGUE FOR LIBRARIES, ne.

No. 572,132. Patented Dec.A 1, 1896.-'

Afro/mfr UNITED STATES VPATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR RINALDO SOMES, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARD-CATALOGUE `FOR LIBRARIES, 84C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,132, dated December 1, 1896.

Application filed September 1l, 1895. Serial No. 562,224. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it 77110;/ concern;

Be it known that I, EDGAR RINALDO SoMEs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Melrose, in the county of Middlesex, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Catalogues for Libraries and other Purposes, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to a catalogue in which the names of things, as of books, are placed on separate cards, which are arranged in the desired order for ready reference in a card-holder.

The object of the invention is to provide for the index-cards a holder combining the properties of simplicity of construction, security of the cards against lossor displacement, facility of insertion and removal of the cards incident to the frequent changes or additions to be made in the list, and facility of inspection of the cards in the holder.

Figure 1- of the accompanying drawings represents a perspective view of this cardholder. Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section thereof, the central portion being broken out. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged plan view of the key for unlocking the rods on which the cards are strung. Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section of the shank of said key, showing its pivoted spring-jaws. Fig. 5 represents a similar section of the key-shank, the jaws being removed. Fig. G represents an enlarged horizontal section of the lock for the card-rods. Fig. 7 represents an enlarged section of said lock, taken at a right angle to the section of Fig. 6. Fig. S represents the cap-piece of the rotary stud of said lock. Fig. 9 represents a perspective view of the socket.

The same referen (3e-numerals designate the same parts in all the figures.

The frame of the holder is preferably in the form of a drawer, and when constructed in this form it comprises a bottom 10, side ledges 11 and 12, a front end 20, and a rear end 30. It is thus adapted for insertion in a desk or case. The front end 2O is provided with a recess 21 in its top adapted to receive the iingers for withdrawing the holder from its case or for moving it from place to place.

Cleats 22 and 23 are lsecured to the inner face of the front end 2O and similar cleats31 and 32 to the inner face of the rear end 30.

These cleats are beveled in their inner faces and form inclined rests against which the opposite ends of the series of cards lie, so as to permit the spreading of said cards at their upper edges for convenient reference to their contents. The front end 2O is provided with holes 24 and 25, which extend through the front cleats 22 and 23, and the rear cleats 31 and 32 are provided with flaring sockets 33 and 34.

Two parallel horizontal rods 40 and 41 eX- tend through the apertures in the front end 2O of the card-holder and rest at their rear ends in the sockets 33 and 34. These rods are connected at one end by abar or plate 42, provided with a socket 43. The index or other cards, as 100, are strung on the rods, which are drawn out to disengage their inner ends from the sockets 33 and 34 when cards are to be inserted or withdrawn.

A swiveling stud 44 is disposed in the socket 43. This stud is provided with two iianges 45 and 46, which engage an internal flange 42" of the socket,whereby the stud is permanently held in the socket, yet permitted to turn freely therein. The outer end of the stud is provided with two recesses 47 and 48, disposed at diametrically opposite sides thereof. The

iiange 46 is integral with a cap, which is slid f over the central portion oi the stud, which is surrounded by the flange 42', and the outer end of the central portion of the stud is upset or flattened, whereby the parts are united.

The inner end of the stud 44 terminates in a T-shaped head 49, which engages a metallic socket 50 in the front end 20 and locks the sliding rods 40 and 41 in closed position. An annular space between the outer end of the stud and the tubular socket 43 is adapted to receive a key for turning the stud and its T- shaped head to lock or unlockthe rods.

The front end 2O is provided in its front face with a recess which is covered by a plate 50, having a slot 53, and inward stops 51 and 52, disposed at diagonally opposite corners of said slot.

The key herein illustrated for operating the locking mechanism for the sliding rods consists of a shank 60, having a transverse handle 61 at its outer end. The shank 60 is provided with a socket 62 at its inner end, which lits over the reduced end of the swiveled stud IOO 44. A hole (5.3 extends transversely through the shank 60, near the center thereof, and is adapted to receive a spiral spring 64. A slot G5 extends through the inner end of the shank GO nearly up to the hole G3 therein. This slot is adapted to receive spring-jaws 66 and 67, pivoted to swing therein, said jaws being provided with buttons 68 and 69, which bear on the opposite ends of the spiral spring G4.

By pressing upon these buttons the jaws areopened, and the spring operates to close them when they are released.

In the use of this device, when it is desired to insert or remove a card or cards, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. l, the hollow end of the key GO is placed in the socket 43 over the stud 44, with the handle 6l at right angles to the bar 42, connecting the slide-rods 40 and 4l. In this position of the key the hooked ends of the jaws 66 and G7 thereof engage the lateral recesses 47 and 48 in the rotarystud 44. The key is then turned a quarter of a circuit toward the right, the handle-bar 6l being then parallel with the plate 42. This turning of the key turns the T-shaped head 49, so that the latter can be disengaged from the plate 50. Then using the key as a handle the bar 42 is pulled away from the top of the drawer and the rods 40 and 4l are drawn forward and their inner ends become disengaged from the sockets 33 and 34 of the inner end 30 of the drawer. Then the index or other cards which have perforations at proper distances to engage the rods 40 and 4l are strung on said rods or removed therefrom, as desired. Then the bar 42 is pushed back by the key, serving as a handle, until the inner ends of the rods 40 and 4l rengagc the slots 33 and 34. Then the key is turned back a quarter-turn, the handle-bar being then at right angles to the bar 42. This turning of the key turns the T-shaped head in the recess 54 until its lateral projections come in Contact with the stops 5l and 52 on the inner face of the plate 50. In this position these lateral projections of the head engage the plate 50 at the sides of the slot 53 and prevent the bar 42, and colisequently the rods 40 and 4l, from being withdrawn until the key is again turned. Pressure is then applied to the buttons (3S and G9, and the jaws 66 and (37 are thereby disengaged from the rotary stud 44, and the key is then withdrawn and the cards are left locked in the drawer.

These card-holders are usually disposed in a cabinet or on shelves, and can be taken up for inspection of the cards by grasping the front end through the recess 21. The cards can then be consulted by tilting them in the The locking device prevents any holder.

cards from being removed Without the key, and the key performs the double function of unlocking the rods and serving as a handle by which they are drawn out and pushed back.

I claim as my invention- I. A holder for the cards of a card-catalogue comprising a frame for receiving said cards provided with a hole at one end and a socket at the other end, a sliding rod for vStringing n rlllllwmm said cards within the frame, said rod passing through said hole and engaging said socket, a bar to which said rod is connected, a lock iiXed to said bar for fastening it to one end of the frame, and an independent key adapted to operate said lock and to serve as a handle for said bar.

2. A holder for cards of a card-catalogue, comprising a frame for receiving said cards, provided with an outer socket and a hole at one end, and an inner socket at the other end, a sliding rod for Stringing said cards within said frame, said rod passing through said hole and engaging said inner socket, a bar to which said rod is connected, a rotary stud on said bar adapted to engage said outer socket, and a key for operating said rotary stud.

3. Aholder for the cards of a card-catalogue comprising a frame for receiving said cards, provided with an outer socket and a hole at one end and an inner socket at the other end, a sliding rod for Stringing said cards within the frame, said rod passing through said hole and engaging said socket, a bar to which said rod is connected provided with a socket, a stud disposed in the bar-socket and provided with lateral slots and a iianged head at its inner end for engaging the outer socket of the frame, and a key provided with pivoted springjaws adapted to engage the slotted stud for operating it and withdrawing the rod.

4. Aholder for the cards of a card-catalogue comprising a frame for receiving said cards provided with an outer socket and a hole at one end, and an inner socket at the other end, a sliding rod for Stringing said cards within the frame, said rod passing through said hole and engaging said socket, a bar to which said rod is connected provided with a socket, a stud disposed in the bar-socket and provided with lateral slots and a flanged head at its inner end for engaging the outer socket of the frame, a key having a transverse hole through its shank, a spring disposed in said hole and pivoted jaws adapted to engage the slotted stud, said jaws having finger-plates at their inner ends engaging the ends of said spring.

EDGAR RINALDO SOMES.

XVitnesses:

WM. J. KNOX, R. R. SoMEs.

IOC 

